Skulduggery Pleasant OC submissions
by MischeviousHorror
Summary: Submit your character, mage or mortal, to fight the forces of evil. Dun, dun, dun...  Takes place after Book 5. Places are limited, so hurry and SUBMIT!
1. Character Sheet

**Okay, this is the first Skulduggery Pleasant submit-a-character story I've seen, so I thought I'd try it! Submit your characters in through the reviews, and once I have enough, the story will start! This takes place after Book 5, but I'll keep spoilers to a minimum!**

**What you need to know about the story (SPOILERS!): Lord Vile is back. Remnant!Tanith is dating Billy-Ray. Ghastly is an Elder. Valkyrie has become Darquesse briefly.**

**I'd prefer if all the characters are under 25 years old. Thanks.**

CHARACTER FORM

NAME:

AGE:

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

PERSONALITY:

MAGIC (Y/N):

IF SO, WHAT KIND OF MAGIC?

OCCUPATION:

STORY SUGGESTIONS:

OTHER:

**Some Notes:**

**I will not accept Mary Sues. Sorry.**

**Keep your names realistic.**

**I don't want all Necromancers!**

**I need both genders.**

**Don't make your character 100000000 years old.**

**Don't have them all silent, tough, anti-social characters. Please.**

**_So, submit in the reviews!_**


	2. FIRST LIST

ACCEPTED CHARACTERS

Coy Edelweiss (Eleta)

Golden Phoenix (wow11)

Thunder Bolt (Heather lola)

Blaze Repose (Blaze Repose)

Amanda Wearing (dragon eyes 4)

Aqua Torrent (Emily the stalker)

Unforgiven Knight (blah blah boredom 246)

Tally Rein (Magicful Creepy Kids)

Graceful Shadows (Graceful Shadows)

Jade Midnight (Jade Midnight)

Dusky Malice (Forever-In-Freefall)

Mac and Slaughter (I'm Not A Leprechaun)

Sky Fireheart and Regen Volt (Sky Fireheart)

A few notes:

NO MORE GIRLS! Sorry, peoples, but I have enough, thanks!

If your OC isn't on this list, I'm trying to figure out where to work 'em in. So, I have a few requests for the creators:

1. To Heather lola: Could you review or PM me with Thunder Bolt's personality?

2. To Jade Midnight: Can I make Jade younger, slightly?

3. To dragon eyes 4: Does Amanda have a given name, or is Amanda her given name?

4. To Mademise Morte: I know this isn't the first SYOC ff, but this is the first SP one.

5. To wow11: I have an awesome idea as to how Gold could be five, without a time skip. Yay!

6. To everyone who suggetsed ideas for the story: Wow. All of your suggestions are a lot like my own initial idea. But I'm not going to give it away here! Keep reading!

7. To everyone who submitted a character: Could you review and say if I can pair your character, or kill 'em off? Thanks.

Thanks for the awesome characters, and keep 'em coming!


	3. SECOND LIST, NEARLY DONE!

**ACCEPTED CHARACTERS**

Coy Edelweiss _(Eleta)_

Golden Phoenix _(wow11)_

Thunder Bolt _(Heather lola)_

Blaze Repose_ (Blaze Repose)_

Amanda Wearing _(dragon eyes 4)_

Aqua Torrent _(Emily the stalker)_

Unforgiven Knight _(blah blah boredom 246)_

Tally Rein_ (Magicful Creepy Kids)_

Graceful Shadows _(Graceful Shadows)_

Jade Midnight_ (Jade Midnight)_

Dusky Malice _(Forever-In-Freefall)_

Mac and Slaughter _(I'm Not A Leprechaun)_

Sky Fireheart and Regen Volt _(Sky Fireheart)_

Vouch Van Dermeer _(ThinkChimerical)_

Hellfire Smith _(I'm Not A Leprechaun)_

**Okay, well... I'm writing a few chapters before I post, so there won't be any delay between updates, okay?**

**I'm still accepting younger boys,so SUBMIT! Doesn't matter if you already have, just submit again!**

**Thanks,**

**Mischief.**

**To blah blah boredom 246 and Graceful Shadows: LOL. You two remind me of myself and my (older) brother.**

**To everyone: Once the story gets underway, notify me with who you want your character paired with, okay?**


	4. Ghastly Bespoke Is An Evil, Biased Man

"No."

Elder Bespoke was _usually_ a patient man. He _usually_ listened to what the general magical population had to say about the way the country was being run. He _usually_ gave the detectives, bounty hunters, bodyguards and assorted other staff the jobs they applied for.

_Usually._

But the dark haired girl in front of him was trying his patience. For the past week she had repeatedly attempted to convince him to give the 'Tanith Low' case to her, claiming that Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain were amateurs that 'would mess everything up'.

"In all due respect, Elder," the girl began again, and Ghastly felt his spirits sink even lower. Would she never give up? "I feel that my skills and those of my partners are better suited to the case in question, and that we have the contacts to actually track down the Remnant. Something Cain and Pleasant have failed to do for the past two months."

Ghastly sighed. "Slaughter, for the last time, I have already given the job to Skulduggery and Valkyrie. To reassign it now would be unfair, and quite frankly stupid." It was the same thing he had been saying for the past week.

Slaughter's trademark scowl deepened drastically as she absorbed this insult. "Very well then," she said stiffly, obviously disappointed and bitter. "Thank you for seeing me, Elder." She leaned heavily on her crutches to lift herself out of the chair she had been sitting on, maneuvering herself out of the room with difficulty. Ghastly listened as the now familiar_ click_ of her crutches echoed off the walls of the Roarhaven Sanctuary.

Ghastly sighed. He was _really_ regretting taking this job.

* * *

"How was it?"

Slaughter frowned as she threw herself down on the couch, dropping her crutches on the ground noisily. "Ghastly Bespoke is an evil, biased man who should not be Elder. Otherwise, it went fine, Mac! He's giving the job to the dynamo duo, and everyone's skipping off into the sunset!"

Her mentor, Mac, shook his head from where he sat in his wheelchair beside the crackling fire. "Slaughter, there _is_ a chance you simply weren't the best choice for the-"

Slaughter's withering glare forced his sentence to die in his throat. "Mac. Please, spare me the patronizing. I am, and always will be, superior in_ every_ way to Cain. And Pleasant," she added as an afterthought. "You're saying a dead guy and an amateur sidekick playing at being a detective is better then you, me, and a teenage werewolf?"

Mac shrugged. "You're forgetting the fact, Slaughter, that Skulduggery can't die, and Valkyrie can actually do magic. And neither of them have to worry about turning into a wolf and ripping people's faces off."

Slaughter scowled from her sprawl on the couch. "Y'know, mentor's are supposed to be_ supportive_."

"Mac doesn't do supportive," The teenage werewolf in question, Amanda, chipped in helpfully from the kitchen, where she was doing God's knows what. Possibly something explosive. "You musta realized that by now, Ter."

"Don't call me that."

"Call you what, Ter?"

Slaughter sat up suddenly. "Lightbulb!" she exclaimed. "Who says we have to go through the Sanctuary?" she asked quickly, not allowing Mac to interrupt her. "We could, I dunno, go ourselves, deprogram Low, return her to the Sanctuary, and then, well-" Slaughter shrugged. "We'll... be... better... detectives... then.. Pleasant?"

"Underpants Gnomes much?" Amanda quipped from the kitchen.

Slaughter ignored her. "It could work! We could be like, bounty hunters or something!"

Mac shook his head. "Would. Not. Work. Telling you now, Ter, it wouldn't work."

Slaughter shrugged. "Do one impossible thing every day."

Mac wheeled his chair out towards the kitchen. "Yeah, Ter, but this is about sixty impossible things. Number one, hunt down Tanith Low. Number two, sneak up on her. Number three, stop that Texas guy from just digging away. Number four, fight them. Number five, subdue them. Number six-"

Slaughter grimaced, and got up from the couch. "Why must you destroy each and every one of my lightbulb moments?"

Mac shrugged. "I have a huge ego, Ter. You _should_ know that by now."

**Graceful Shadows- I was in hospital, I couldn't update, sorry! I hope this makes up for it, even though it's really crappy. Oh well.**

**Unforgiven Knight- Haven't decided whether or not to kill off Unforgiven, sorry!**

**Jade Midnight- Please don't kill me, this is about a minute later then I promised. Of course, I'm wasting more time explaining why I'm wasting time... XD**

**Again, I apologize for the crappy chapter, everybody! I'm introducing one, maybe two, characters every chapter, so in this one you meet Mac and Slaughter! (And, to a lesser extent, Amanda. She'll have a larger part in the next chapter)**


	5. Indian or Chinese? Stylish or Traitor?

**Yay! Two updates in one day, hip-hip- hurrah!**

**(Wow. I'm a poet, and I didn't know it. Until now, of course. Now, what rhymes with _course?_)**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT AS LONG AS IT MAY APPEAR, AS SLAUGHTER AND MAC WASTE A LOT OF IT ARGUING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. **

Amanda Wearing was not a very good cook. At all. And so, when she offered to make dinner, Slaughter and Mac quickly made their excuses.

"I'm really not hungry," Slaughter said quickly. "I had a very filling cuppa this morning, and-"

Mac chose to go for the more subtle excuse. "My food's burnt."

Amanda raised her eyebrows. "No, it's not."

Mac quickly lit a fireball and set his dinner on fire. "Yes, it is."

"What the hell-" Amanda jumped up and grabbed a tea towel from the nearby work-counter while Slaughter choked on her water from laughing. Amanda quickly patted out the fire.

"See?" Mac pointed to the unrecognizable dinner. "Burnt. Very."

"Whoever allowed you to look after us," Slaughter added, hiccuping slightly, all previous bad mood forgotten. "Is a sick, deprived person who should burn in Hell."

Amanda threw the towel into the sink at the same time as metaphorically throwing in the towel. "Fine," she sighed, raising her hands in defeat. "We can get a takeaway."

"Chinese." Slaughter said quickly. Mac glared at her.

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

Amanda quietly got up from the table and went into the hall, where the phone was located.

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

Mac took a deep breath before continuing.

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

"Chinese!"

"Indian!"

Slaughter paused. "What were we fighting over, anyway?"

Mac shrugged. "I forget."

Amanda slipped back into the kitchen. "I ordered pizza."

Slaughter shrugged. "Could be worse!" she said cheerfully.

Amanda grinned. "Y'know, you two remind me of Skulduggery and Valkyrie sometimes."

"Take that back," growled Slaughter. "I am nothing like that amateurish, stupid, reckless excuse for a sorcerer."

"And I have much better fashion sense then Skulduggery!" Mac added.

Amanda nodded. "See? That's something Skulduggery would say, isn't it?"

Slaughter pointed her fork at Mac. "Traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

The doorbell rang, and Amanda got up to answer it.

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

Amanda accepted the boxes of pizza's, and paid the delivery-man out of Mac's wallet without any feelings of guilt.

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

Amanda sat back down at the table and started cutting the pizzas into thirds.

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor, I'm just fashionable!"

"You are not fashionable, you're a traitor!"

"Pizza!" Amanda announced, and Slaughter and Mac were momentarily distracted sufficiently as they grabbed slices as big as their heads. Slaughter swallowed it in two point five bites.

"Delicious!" Slaughter announced.

"Definitely," Mac agreed.

Amanda scowled. "Don't forget, you two, I can kill you in four moves."

"And I can kill you in two moves!" Slaughter countered. "Pull out gun. Shoot you. Done."

"Don't forget disposing of the body."

Slaughter nodded solemnly. "Yes. I would have to dispose of the body. I would most probably eat you."

Amanda made the face. "And_ I'm _supposed to be the werewolf?"

* * *

"So," Slaughter said as she and Amanda stepped out into the sunshine. "What's first on the shopping list?"

Amanda checked the list. "Ammo, some new chains for my room, some flowers-_ flour,_ sorry, eggs, milk and better- no, _butter_-, some potion you have to pick up from Saffron's pharmacy-" Amanda made a face. "Knives from Van Dermeer's workshop, and-" Amanda squinted. "You have terrible handwriting, Ter."

"Quit _calling_ me that," snapped Slaughter.

"And a plan to capture Tanith Low." Amanda's eyebrows raised. "You can buy those in Dublin?"

"If you know where to look."

Amanda grinned. "Okay. Well, we might start off buying the groceries so we don't alarm the innocent civilians by bringing knives, bullets, a potion, and a plan to kill Tanith Low into the shop."

"Good point," coincided Slaughter.

"I know. After all, I'm me, aren't I?"

"Are you?"

"Last time I checked, yes."

"Good to know."

"Indeed."

"Oh. And Mac wants some new books." Slaughter held up a copy of Twilight. "Not gory enough for him."

"Mac... was reading... what?"

"Don't try to understand, Amanda, my dear. It would surely melt your brain."

The duo turned the corner onto a decrepit street lined with houses decorated with broken windows and creative graffiti. The footpath was cracked, and no-one was walking.

"This place still creeps me out," commented Amanda. "It creeps me out majorly."

"That's why Sorrow's lives here, isn't it?" noted Slaughter. "No-one comes a-knocking on the chamber door."

"Enough with the literary references!"

"Fine. God, loosen up, would you?"

Amanda had to suppress a smile. Slaughter was telling_ her_ to loosen up?


	6. He Is A Jerk, But Somewhat Good Looking

Once they were in the hushed space of the library, Slaughter threw the book to Amanda. "Go find something bloody and violent for Mac, would you?"

Amanda caught the book easily. "Wilco," she replied, and disappeared into the shelves. Slaughter rolled her eyes. How could Amanda even know her way around the library like that? Slaughter herself got continuously lost.

Slaughter set off to look for China, mentally running through the layout of the library. After seven dead ends, Slaughter finally found China with some of her students, teaching them symbols. Leaning against a shelf, Slaughter waited for her to finish. She only recognized one of the students, which was worrying for Slaughter- Blaze Repose, an elegant sorceress of formidable talent, untrained but powerful, with the raw talent to challenge China herself. But, of course, Blaze needed training herself, and had been the first to sign up for classes.

Someone pushed past Slaughter impatiently, and, reluctant to get kicked out of Mac's favorite library, Slaughter stepped out of the way. A boy her age with golden colored hair hurried past, going to speak to China. "Jerk," Slaughter muttered. _But he _was_ good-looking..._ "He's still a jerk," she muttered to herself.

"But he _is_ good-looking," Amanda pointed out, like she could read Slaughter's mind, stepping out from behind her.

"No, he's not." protested Slaughter.

"If you say so." shrugged Amanda.

Slaughter scowled at Amanda. "That's the part where you say_ yes he is_, and we get in a huge argument consisting of us repeating the same things over and over."

Amanda paused. "Yeah, I'm not gonna do that. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Yeah, right."

"Actually, I do."

"Yeah, right."

"I do!"

"Yeah, right."

"I do!"

"My evil plan is working!" Slaughter pointed out.

Amanda paused. Slaughter was right. "Damn."

"You two!" China called. "I take it you're actually here for a reason?" While the teenagers had been arguing, the class had ended, and the only ones left were Blaze,- who liked to stay behind to study- China, and her good-looking - but jerkish, Slaughter reminded herself- friend.

"Here, as in where?" Slaughter asked. "As in, are we all here for a reason greater then ourselves? Or are we merely here because-"

"You're sounding like Pleasant again." Amanda pointed out.

Slaughter immediately stopped talking.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Slaughter told Mac to tell Slaughter to tell Mac to tell me to ask you if you've heard anything about a bounty reward for Tanith Low?"

A brief pause while everyone struggled to understand this convoluted sentence.

Slaughter was the first to understand. "I did not!"

"Bounty hunters? You're _bounty hunters _now?" China asked, somewhat surprised.

"Nope," Slaughter replied easily. "But we heard that there was a few people out looking for her. One of the hunters might know something."

China shrugged. "The reward was twenty thousand euro last I heard. It's probably gone up already. Happy, now?"

"Very!" Slaughter replied cheerfully. "Thanks, China!"

"Get out of my library then, if you would please."

Slaughter shrugged, and she and Amanda went to check out the books Amanda had gathered. "I think she's starting to like me."

"Speaking of _liking_..."

"Amanda, why did you put emphasis on a word for seemingly no reason?"

"Oh come on!" Amanda exclaimed, exasperated. "You like China's brother."

_"Mr. Bliss?_ God, Amanda! What kind of sick, evil-"

"Her _other_ brother."

"Who?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "The guy who is apparently _not good-looking_. Thunder Bolt."

"Again, Amanda, you put emphasis on a word for no reason. You baffle me, you really do. And no, I do not like, nor _like_, China Sorrows' annoying jerk of a little brother."

Amanda gave the books to the assistant. "The first step to solving your problems, Ter, is to admit you have 'em."

"Don't_ call _me that. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"You're like a politician, Ter. You never stay on topic, do you?"

"Should I be offended or insulted?" Slaughter accepted the books, and started looking through them "You got him N_ew Moon_? I told you he didn't like_ Twilight_."

Amanda shrugged. "A load of pages with months on them. At least it won't have many words."

The duo went out onto the street, and veered towards the nearest _Supervalu_, while Slaughter continued to look. "_Lord of the Rings? Ten Ways to Use Necromancy in the Everyday House? Mortal Coil?_ _Teleportation for Dummies?__ Ye Olde Verily Rare Booke of Spells And Other Useful Incantations?"_

Amanda shrugged. "I wanted to read Lord of the Rings again, and the others just looked interesting, Ter."

Slaughter frowned, but let it go. "Did you get anything actually good? That Mac'll _read_?"

Amanda frowned. "Uh- hm...I think I might have... No, actually, no, nothing he'll read. Just stuff he won't."

"Who's Derek Landy?"

"His books have skeletons and loads of evil hands on them. Freakin' _skeletons,_ Ter! What's not to like?"

"If you say so..."

The two girls stepped into the warmth of the supermarket, and Slaughter stuffed the books into her bag, and consulted the list again. "Okay... Do you know where we can find us some flowers?"

* * *

"Next stop?"

Slaughter checked the list. "The weaponsmith, and the pharmacy."

"Okay. VanDermeer's first. He doesn't creep me out as much as Saffron."

Slaughter raised her eyebrow. "Selda Saffron creeps you out?"

Amanda nodded as they hurried down the street, wanting to get finished before the heavens opened. "Yes. She does. Very much so."

"Wimp."

"Call me all the names you like, Ter, and remember- Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can mentally harm."

"Awesome."

Amanda grinned. "Hey, how 'bout you go get the medicine, and I get the knives? We'll be quicker that way."

"And you won't have to come near Saffron."

"That too."

Slaughter rolled her eyes. "Fine. You know what to get?"

"Of course."

"Okay then. Meet you at home?"

"Deal."

**Sorry I didn't update! Anyway, hope this makes up for it, and I'll be posting more tonight, probably.**

**dragon eyes 4- I was in hospital overnight, but I'm okay now. Thanks for your concern!**

**dragon eyes 4- I like to think of Amanda, Slaughter and Mac (to a lesser extent, of course) as anti-heroes- good guys who will do bad things to do good things! (Does that even make sense?)**

**Jade Midnight- Sorry! Jade'll be in the next chap, promise!**

**Heather lola- Thunder'll be more major later.**

**Blaze Repose- Thank you! As you can see, Blaze was in this chapter (not very large, but still.) She'll be more major later.**

**Next chapter: Meet Van Dermeer, Saffron, Aqua Torrent and Jade Midnight! Yay!**


	7. No Problemo!

**Damn you, writing block! Seriously, this chapter... it was impossible to write, so it is SUPER-SHORT. It's basically just filler, sorry, and Aqua isn't in it yet, like I promised, sorry!**

** I hate you, hard-to-write chapter!**

Vouch VanDermeer's weaponsmith was the best in the country, where Necromancers came to get their shadow-weapons smithed, where the Cleavers had their scythes made, and where ordinary mages came for knives, swords, and various weapons of varying sizes.

Vouch VanDermeer himself was both terrifying and intimidating, who hardly ever spoke when sorcerers came to him for whatever reason. His brother, Oberon, on the other hand, never shut up, but Vouch hardly ever spoke.

When Amanda slipped in, Vouch was repairing Jade Midnight's shadow-glove, which had been damaged during the Remnant invasion. Jade was a Necromancer who split her time between the Temple and working as a detective, and who was supposed to be able to shape-shift as well. Amanda knew her vaguely, but not well enough.

"Hey, Amanda," Jade said cheerfully as the werewolf entered.

Amanda nodded noncommittally, and went over to Oberon, who was not quite as good a smith as his brother, but twice as annoying. In Amanda's opinion.

"Whatcha need, Amanda?"

"Hey, Oberon. Could you make me some knives? Four daggers."

"No problemo. They're always what you order, like, how d'you break 'em, or whatever? Do you, I dunno, lose 'em, or something? Because almost every week you're askin' for more, and-"

"Oberon. Make the goddamn knives, would you?"

"No problemo, I already _said!_ You want me to make 'em glow in the dark, or shoot darts, or maybe burst into flame when you say a special word?"

"No, Oberon. I want some knives."

"No problemo!"

* * *

The potion was a dark cream color, tasted disgusting, and smelled even worse.

"Twenty-five euro," said Selda Saffron to Slaughter. "Best Before: see top of bottle, and drink it in sips, okay?"

"I know how to drink it, Saffron," Slaughter snapped, tipping back the little bottle and taking a gulp. She gagged slightly at the initial taste, but then felt the muscles in her legs knit themselves back together and the consistent pain eased. "Thanks, Selda."

"No problemo!" came the cheerful reply.

**dragon eyes 4: They do bad things for good reasons. Make more sense now?**


	8. Not Even If I Let You Order Indian?

When Slaughter came back into the house, crutches tucked under her arm, Mac was in the sitting-room, his eyes glued to the television screen. Unusual for him. Slaughter shrugged, and went to put everything away when there was a knock at the door.

Slaughter went to get it. On the top step was Blaze Repose and a younger girl Slaughter failed to recognize. Blaze smiled calmly when she saw Slaughter.

"Hello, Slaughter. Mac told me to come around and put up some sigils?"

Slaughter frowned. "He didn't tell me that," she muttered, but let the duo in. The girl with Blaze had medium length brown hair and a smile playing on her lips. "I'm Aqua Torrent," she introduced herself.

"I'm Slaughter Morte."

They shook hands, before Slaughter turned her attention back to Blaze, who was looking around the small and cluttered kitchen."Could you clear me a space over there?" she asked, pointing to the centre of the room. Slaughter pushed the table to the side, and dragged the chair out of the way, shifting several heaped piles of books to the table, as Blaze set her things out. What looked like a scalpel, some sort of paste, and a book lying open with several symbols on the page.

Blaze knelt in the centre of the room, consulted the book, and then very carefully carved a line diagonally across the space, her movements slow and even. Slaughter watched her in interest.

Aqua smiled at Slaughter. "Have you heard about Tanith Low? She's been seen up in Kildare with the mercenary."

"The Texan?"

"Yeah, him. Loadsa bounty hunters're planning on going down there tomorrow. Most of them are going in teams, it's easier that way."

Slaughter frowned. "Where did you hear this?"

Aqua shrugged. "I dabble in Sensitivity. I saw it earlier today."

Slaughter nodded, thinking. This would make it so much easier to catch her. And maybe a team, rather then just her, Amanda and Mac...

There was a bang as the door slammed, and Amanda came in the front door, shaking her wet hair. "Sorry I'm late. The rewards gone up," she added. "Half a million euros to be had."

"Wow." said Aqua, impressed. "You're planning on going after her?"

"We're... consdiering it."

"If you are," Aqua continued. "And you need a healer, feel free to ask me. It would be cool."

"Thanks," Slaughter said thoughtfully. "We might just take you up on that."

Aqua grinned, and then caught a glance at her watch. "Oh, damn, sorry, I have to go! Talk t'you later?"

"Sure, see you."

Blaze glanced up from the symbols she was carving, where a celtic symbol, a swirl of shapes and curves and lines, was slowly forming. "I'm almost done, don't worry."

"Take your time," advised Slaughter. "I'm going to go and talk to Mac."

* * *

Mac was against it. Of course.

"But Mac!" protested Slaughter. "We could hire us some hunters, a healer, and go hunt down Low! We could be like the A-Team or something!"

Mac sighed. "No."

"Mac. You are currently emanating the air of a grumpy, nay, downright evil old sorcerer with nothing better to do then crush the hopes, dreams and spirits of the youth of this generation who look to you for guidance and moral support."

"I'm still saying no."

"Not even if I say please?"

"Not even then."

"Not even if I beg?"

"Not even then."

"Not even if I pay you?"

"Not even then."

"Not even if I let you have an Indian take-away the next three times?"

"Deal."

**More filler, but in the next chapter, the main cast is introduced (finally), yay! Thanks for all the reviews, you guys!**


	9. Who Invited The Good Looking Jerk?

Tally Rein was on one of the Aran Islands, hunting down a particularly difficult rogue _fear an tine, _a creature who could burst into flame at will, was impervious to heat, and was generally quite awesome.

Tally ran across the fields, watching the creature ahead- it wasn't really a human, and it didn't seem to have a gender- burn it's way through the grass that grew to the middle of Tally's chest. Her favorite knife was held in her hand, and as she forged her way through the wild weeds, Tally mentally went over what she knew about the thing in front of her. He was weak to water, she thought, and he could be killed with a stab or shot to the head. Well. That should be easy.

The_ fear an tine_ was not built for speed, and now Tally was catching up quickly, racing up behind him. The_ fear_ seemed to realize, and he spun around suddenly, blasting fire at Tally. Tally was forced to jump to the side as the molten lava blasted past her, carving a long winding path through the grass. Tally crouched in the weeds, cursing, and waiting for the _fear_ to run out of heat. When he didn't, she began to rethink her plan.

Her phone began to ring, and the _fear an tine_ spun to where she was hidden, and blasted more fire. Tally rolled to the side, pulling out her phone to answer it. "Hello?" At the same time, she began to quietly sneak up on the fear.

"I heard you were a pretty good tracker," the girl on the other end said. "Would you be interested in some work?"

Tally dodged around a shot of fire, and then pressed forward with her knife. "I might be. Where'll I meet you?"

The girl gave the address, as Tally jumped forward and stabbed the _fear an tine_ through the forehead, digging the knife in deeply. "I'll meet you there," Tally said, as the fire wreathing the creatures body brightened, and melted the phone she held in her hand.

* * *

Aqua was in a cafe, checking her e-mail when the call came through.

"Hey, Aqua, it's Slaughter. I was wondering if you were still interested in what we were talking about earlier today?"

Aqua nearly dropped her drink. "Hell, yeah. Of course."

"Meet me at our place today at four o'clock, would you?"

"Deal."

* * *

"Who's left?" Amanda asked as Slaughter thanked Aqua and hung up.

"Unforgiven Knight, Dusky Malice, and- Amanda, I can't read your writing!"

Amanda checked it. "Thunder Bolt."

Slaughter paused. "That name sounds pretty familiar..."

Amanda shrugged. "I'll call Knight and Bolt, you call Malice."

Slaughter picked up the phone again, dialing quickly, and then waited. "Hey, is this Dusky malice? Uh-huh. Well, when she comes back, could you tell her Slaughter called, and I'm wondering if she wants to come with us on a little adventure. Thanks. Tell her to come by any time, okay? Thanks."

Slaughter hung up, and checked Malice's name off the list.

"It's a lot of people to just hunt down Low," Mac commented from where he was watching the election results.

"We have a tracker, a driver, a fighter and a healer. That's really all we-" The doorbell rang, and Slaughter went to get it. "Hold that thought!" she called back to Mac, opening the front door. Her spirits dampened, however, when she saw who it was.

"Okay. Who invited the good-looking jerk?"

* * *

**_Fear an tine_- pronounced fe-yarr an tin-ah**

**Of course, that's the way I pronounce it. Different parts of Ireland pronounce it differently.**

**Magicful Creepy Kids- LOL. It's okay about missing updates, it doesn't matter all that much. In what way do they remind you of your family? They kinda remind me of mine...**


End file.
